Muslimgauze

For years, Vinyl-On-Demand has offered a special level of devotion to the legendary solo ventures of the Manchester, UK, based artist Bryn Jones, better known as Muslimgauze. Their latest, Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones 1983-88, is a stunning 11 CD box set that gathers the near entirety of Muslimgauze’s output from his emergence in 1983, until 1988, and is among the most ambitious and expansive of them all, as well as representing the first time any of these albums have been issued in a digital format. A truly stunning journey into a singular mind at the outer-reaches of sonic exploration and experimentalism, issued with all the love and care for which VOD is renowned, this one is as seminal and stunning as releases come, and perfectly timed in a moment when the legend of Muslimgauze continues to gather steam.

First appearing within the UK underground music scene during the early '80s, Muslimgauze was an astoundingly prolific project until the sudden, untimely passing of Bryn Jones in 1991. An ardent believer in the ethos of DIY, the majority of his albums - particularly during the years covered by VOD’s Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones 1983-88 - were self-released in small limited editions, making them almost impossible to obtain and feeding a devoted, cult following that has risen to almost a fever pitch in recent years.

Muslimgauze’s enduring appeal is not unrelated to the listenability and seductiveness of his music, while remaining rigorously experimental and nearly impossible to nail down. Producing a body of mostly intrumental music that was loosely associated with the UK’s underground industrial scene, the description doesn’t even come close. While delightfully playful and imbued with sonic contentiousness and topical politics - reflecting Jones’ deep belief in the Palestinian liberation movement - Muslimgauze bears a great deal of similarity tothe movements of left-field electronica that would develop in the years following his death, ambient music, and downtempo balearic, while still carrying the adventurousness that defined contemporary projects like Nurse With Wound. The result of this unique position is not only stunning and fascinating, it's unlike anything else.

VOD’s Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones 1983-88, issues the bulk of Muslimgauze’s available output that was released between 1983 and 1988 across 11 CDs presented in a stunning box set. Including, Opaque, Kabul, Buddhist on Fire, Blinded Horses, Flajelata, Hajj, Jazirat Ul Arab, Abu Nidal, The Rape of Palestine, and Coup d'Etat, as well as the rare EPs Hunting Out With an Aerial Eye and Hammer & Sickle. It’s a mind-blowing sonic adventure and a striking dive into a singular mind who often worked in total isolation to sculpt a unique, tribal and globally focused series of works. Wildly expansive and impossible to recommend enough. Essential for any fan of Muslimgauze, the '80s DIY underground, or ambient and electronic music.


CD01 Opaque (1983)
CD02 Kabul (1983)
CD03 Hunting Out With An Aerial Eye / Hammer & Sickle (1983 / 1984)
CD04 Buddhist on Fire (1984)
CD05 Blinded Horses (1985)
CD06 Flajelata (1986)
CD07 Hajj (1986)
CD08 Jazirat Ul Arab (1987)
CD09 Abu Nidal (1987)
CD10 The Rape of Palestine (1988)
CD11 Coup d'Etat (1987)